The Darkness Within

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Lorcan~

I watched Caitirina as she slept soundly on the dense pile of furs. She looks so peaceful, all the lines of frustration had left her youthful face. Now she lay perfectly relaxed a slight smile on her face. 

I turned to Balaur, a Dragon by nature. Luckily I still had friends on this side of the veil, who still answered my call. 

"Thanks for helping us back there." 

He shifted uncomfortably; Bal wasn't a fan of attention. "No problem." He quickly changed the subject.

"So where are you two heading?" 

I sighed , knowing that if anyone was going to get mad at the thought of me going to hell it was Bal.

"Intuneric" 

He stood up so fast from the stool he had been sitting on that it flew half way across the room before crashing into a bookcase. 

"Are you mad! By the blood of Vaettur, you must be! What cause would you have for going there?" He roared as he began to pace the room. I turned to Caitirina worried that all the noise had woken her, but she still slept soundly. Bal's spell had done its job then.

"Vaettur." I replied. He stopped and slowly turned towards me.

"What did you say?" He breathed. 

"He is being held there, we are going to find him." 

"He is alive? Our king, alive..." He walked over to the stool and righted it before sitting down heavily on it. He stared off for a moment then turned to me.

"What of the girl, who is she?" 

I walked over to where she slept and slowly pulled the covers back showing Balaur the royal garb she wore. He swore and ran a hand through his long unruly black and blue hair. 

"I had guessed she was of some importance, but..." He stopped and closed his eyes his brow wrinkled as he tried to concentrate on something. "I can't even remember what she looks like, our own princess. It hasn't been that long only a few years, how--"

"Narishka." 

His lip curled. "The bitch; what has she done now?" 

"It seems she has erased all of our memories of Caitirina, and us from her mind as well." I replied.

"You mean the time you lost before..."

"Yes, and it would seem Caitirina experienced the same thing, only worse, much worse. She had no clue of her true identity...until she met me." 

"How exactly did that happen?" He asked.

I told him how we learned of the tattoos true purpose was, and how they had helped Caitirina learn who she really was.

"Flora...it sounds so familiar, yet not." He growled in frustration. "Now look what you've done! I'm all confused." 

I laughed, knowing the feeling well. "Aren't we all."

**************************************************************************************************************

 Caitirina~

 I woke to a feeling of warmth, I snuggled deeper into it and sigh in contentment. Then stiffened as I remembered Lorcan jumping off the cliff, and then...nothing.

 "How exactly did that happen?" I heard a man's deep grumbly voice ask.

I listened as Lorcan told the stranger of what we had learned about the tattoos. I sighed dreamily remembering what exactly we had learned from those wonderful memories. 

"Flora...it sounds so familiar, yet not." The man growled and I stiffened, what an animal like quality. Like most of the men I met it seemed.  "Now look what you've done! I'm all confused." 

I heard Lorcan's beautiful deep laugh and smiled. "Aren't we all."

I sat up thinking it was time to let them know I was awake. I pushed the warm heavy covers awayand started to stand from the pallet on the floor of the rustic cabin. 

The men noticed right away and Lorcan ran to my side.

"Caitirina. What are you doing up? Ye should be resting." I batted his hands away. 

"I'm fine, actually I feel great." I looked past Lorcan to the other man. "Hello." 

He fell to one knee his fist going to his chest as he bent his head, just like Lorcan had before. "Princess." 

"Not you too. Get up, please." I walked over to him. He looked up at me then to Lorcan confusion marring his handsome tan face. "Get up." He slowly rose. I stuck out my hand.

"Hello." He stared at me and then my hand, more confused now then he had been before.

"Uhh..." He shifted uncomfortably, but then his hand rose slowly to mine.

"Shake it." He paused for a moment and then shook my hand hard three times. I laughed and looked to Lorcan.

"Bal doesn't get out to much." He explained.

"Hey! Just because I--" Suddenly he stopped and both he and Lorcan sniffed the air. 

"What are you guys doing?" But I didn't need an answer, for a moment later the house shook as the west wall was taken out. 

"Get down!" Lorcan called out as he jumped towards me pushing me behind a table. He flipped it over, giving me some form of protection.

"Stay here." He whispered and placed a quick kiss on my lips before dashing back towards Bal. I risked a glance over the table, and gasped at what I saw. Lorcan in his panther form and a...dragon. He wasn't as large as the stories made them out to be, but he was still big enough. His scales shimmered black and dark blue as he and Lorcan prowled around a small woman.

"Give her to us, and you will live." It said its voice a magical lilt of many. her long robe and dark hair swirled around from the invisible wind source. 

Lorcan growled in response, the woman somehow understood him. "Very well if you will not give her to us, then we will take her."

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned quickly to find a small little fairy floating behind me. She had beautiful blond curly hair that seemed to float around her angelic face. I opened my mouth to ask who she was, but the little fairy brought her finger to her mouth signaling for me to be quiet. Then her voice came within my mind.

" Shh princess...you must not let her see you. Now come, we must go before they realize you are here."

I started to reply but she pointed towards her head. Think it?

"What are you talking about? I can't leave without Lorcan." 

"Don't worry, they will be safe. She is only ordered to take you. I'm sorry princess but we really must go now." 

"How do you--" I didn't get a chance to ask her, because suddenly the room was gone and a beautiful light replaced it. Then it felt like a great twister took me in within itself, a wave of nausea overcame me and I closed my eyes. But the feeling left just as soon as it came, and I opened my eyes to the most beautiful place I had ever seen. 

Now this was Lumina. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you are enjoying it! Please Comment/Vote/Fan. Thanks!

-M